Pingtung Academy Introduction
In 1815 (the 20th year of the Qianlong era), Wu Xingcheng, the sub-prefect of Tamsui County, collaborated with scholar Guo Tsui, Lin Mengyang, and others to establish Pingtung Academy (also known as Confucius Temple) to promote local culture and education. Although the academy has undergone multiple relocations and renovations, it has retained the layout of its original hall, worship hall, and dormitories, showcasing the spatial characteristics of traditional academies. It is a historical monument with deep roots in Pingtung, and it is the only academy building in the Pingtung area. The Pingtung Academy was originally built in what is now Zhongshan Park, consisting of 36 dormitory rooms, with a front hall serving as the lecture hall and a rear hall dedicated to worshiping Wenchang Dijun, Chengzi, and Zhouzi, among others. In 1895 (the 21st year of the Guangxu era), Pingtung Academy was converted into a Confucius Temple, primarily worshiping Confucius, with secondary deities including Mencius, Yan Hui, Zengzi, and four other sages, along with Zhouzi, Zhuxi, Cheng Yi, Cheng Hao, and Zhangzi as major Confucian scholars. However, due to a lack of funds for repairs, the temple gradually fell into disrepair. In 1937, the Japanese rulers of Taiwan planned to relocate the Confucius Temple, but following advocacy from Japanese scholars for preservation, it was dismantled and rebuilt at its current site on Shengli Road in accordance with the original design of the academy. However, for a long time after the move, the temple was not actively maintained and showed signs of deterioration again. Until 1977, when Pingtung County's then-mayor invited well-known architect Mr. Han Baode to oversee a restoration plan, the temple was finally restored to its former glory in 1979. The rebuilt Confucius Temple features an expanded courtyard, with the front and rear halls connected by pavilions; the central hall was transformed into the Dacheng Hall, and the rear hall was turned into the Chongsheng Shrine, with a single-slope corridor added, along with a wall inscribed with "Jiuren Palace Wall." Additionally, four stone tablets were preserved to represent the construction history of the academy. In 1985, Pingtung Academy was designated as a national third-level historic monument, holding significant cultural value and maintaining its integrity as a historical site.
